The present disclosure relates to a non-volatile storage element that includes a storage layer that stores information on the magnetization state of a ferromagnetic layer, an insulating layer, and a magnetization fixed layer in which the direction of magnetization is fixed and which changes the direction of the magnetization of the storage layer by running a current, and a memory device that includes the storage element.
In information apparatuses such as computers, DRAMs with fast operations and high density are widely used as Random Access Memories. Since a DRAM is a volatile memory in which information is lost if the power supply is cut, there is demand for a non-volatile memory in which information is not lost.
As a candidate for a non-volatile memory, Magnetic Random Access Memories (MRAM) that record information by the magnetization of a magnetic body has attracted attention and is being developed.
As a method of performing recording in an MRAM, there is a method of inverting the magnetization by the current magnetic field, or as in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-193595, for example, a method of causing magnetic inversion by injecting spin-polarized electrons in a direct recording layer. In particular, spin injection magnetization inversion in which the recording current is made smaller along with the size of the elements has been attracting attention.
Furthermore, in order to miniaturize the elements, a method of using a vertical magnetization film in which the magnetization direction of a magnetization body is pointed in the vertical direction as in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-81215, for example, has been considered.